Milestone in the News!

Guardian, 14th February 2002

How to avoid a two-ring circus

A wedding planner can make sure that your big day
will go without any extra hitches, writes Juliet Shedden

Traditional church weddings in England and Wales, which for 20 years
have made up more than half of all weddings, now only account for 38%,
the rest being held in register offices or approved premises such as
stately homes or castles.

The main reason for the shift towards alternative venues is the 1994
Marriage Act which, for the first time, allowed couples to get married
in 2,500 approved premises as well as churches and register offices.
With this greater choice of civil ceremony venues, it is not surprising
that numbers of civil ceremonies other than in register offices have
risen from 2% in 1995 to 23% in 1999, according to Office of National
Statistics (ONS).

A wedding is probably the most expensive celebration in which many of
us take part. You and Your Wedding magazine estimates the average cost
at around £13,000. With so much choice on offer to couples, organising
a wedding can be daunting, which is why so many couples are turning to
wedding planners for advice.

A wedding planner can help you find a venue and deal with civil
wedding legalities and designing a personalised ceremony. They can
help you select the service suppliers involved on the day and arrange
transport to and from the venue. They will even send out your
invitations and monitor the replies.

First appointments with wedding planners should be free and you are
under no obligation to use their services.

Charlotte Nickolds Smith set up The Wedding Design Studio in Kent
three and a half years ago, after getting married herself. She thought
that after 10 years in corporate hospitality she would be able to
organise her wedding day herself. But, she says: "I could not
relax being the bride. I found I was the coordinator on the day as
well."

This gave her the idea to set up a service for other couples. "At
first meetings we talk about how much the couple want to spend and what
must be included - like a specific colour or location. For instance,
one client specified the venue must have a lake.

"Most couples who come to me started planning their wedding
themselves, but have ended up in a panic when they can’t get the
venue they want on the day they want," says Charlotte. The Wedding
Design Studio organises no more than 30 weddings per year for a fixed
fee of £995.

It’s important to book a wedding planner well in advance. "I
can't organise a wedding in a week. It usually takes 6 months. But it
all depends on when couples are getting married. Summer dates are
booked up quickly and couples should book these 15 to 18 months
ahead," warns Charlotte.

Everything but the Groom, based in Chelsea, London, was set up by
wedding and party coordinator Elizabeth Johnson three years ago.
Organiser of the Ebony Bridal Show in Kensington Town Hall at the
beginning of this month, Elizabeth says she knows how to help future
brides fulfil their dreams.

"Every wedding is individual to the couple involved and must
reflect their tastes and ideas. I am there to take the stress and
thoughts of last minute problems away," she says. Last year
Elizabeth organised 35 weddings, many of which were Nigerian or
African-Caribbean weddings. She charges a fee of 10% of the total cost
of the wedding and says: "The main difference between white
English weddings and Nigerian or Afro-Caribbean weddings is the food,
drink and music. Brides want calypso music, want to drink rum and the
food is an African feast."

Yinka and Ben Aiyenuro used Everything but the Groom when they got
married in May last year. "I didn't want to do all the running
around myself, so I got Elizabeth to help me. I had already chosen my
dress and knew which church I wanted to marry in, but had no venue for
the reception.

"Elizabeth organised everything - from new furniture in the hall,
down to the detail of the flowers on the tables. She oversaw the whole
day, while we just relaxed and enjoyed our day," says Yinka.

Keeping the costs under control

Ask your local council if it owns any unusual property or stately
homes. They are much cheaper to hire than privately owned ones.

Find out if your local education authority or local college caters
for private functions - their charges are usually cheaper than
private caterers.

Buy wine or champagne in France and bring it back to the UK,or buy
from a wine merchant on a sale or return basis. Try Spanish cava
instead of French champagne.

Ask your local pub to set up a pay-as-you-go bar at the reception.

Hire tubs of flowers from a local nursery or garden centre for the
reception.

Ask local parish flower arrangers to do the flowers for the church,
but be prepared to have less say in the colour scheme.

Don't have bridesmaids.

Use the talent of your guests in lieu of presents - one friend to
make your dress, another to video the service and, if you have a
friend who owns a nice car, ask if you can borrow it instead of
hiring one.